Manager Micky Moran was happy with his sides performance; “Yeah the young lads who came in did well, we were pretty badly hit with injuries but I have to hand it to the new lads they really stepped up to it there today which is good coming up to the Championship.”

The 1994 Connacht Champions got off to a blistering start and shot 1-5 to no reply inside the opening 20 minutes. Centre-forward James Clancy was credited with the goal but it came with more than a slice of luck as a point from distance had been the intention.

David O’Connor and wing-back Michael Foley had outstanding games for Leitrim and both chipped in with points approaching the break to leave them leading 1-11 to 0-4.

Alan Curran then gave the Luke Demspey managed Carlow a lifeline when he goaled just before the interval. That score gave them renewed hope and even though they further trimmed the margin with three points on the trot but they could never quite breach the gap and Leitrim held on.

Both teams had men sent-off in the second half. Carlow lost John Murphy and Sean Gannon for two bookable offences each while Leitrim had corner-back Dermot Reynolds shown a red card.

Limerick 8-13 Kilkenny 2-2

Limerick footballers consigned Kilkenny to their heaviest defeat of the campaign with a 29-point hammering in the Gaelic Grounds.